Re: Peace begin with admittance of fault

Hi, larry.

Heather Carr-Rowe wrote:
> Howdy Michael,
>
> The conflict and chaos we see within Baha'i society is simply a reflection
> of the greater conflict and chaos that are reflected in the entirety of
> human society.

Many thanks for your comments. I agree. As I see it, Baha'u'llah
endowed his community to transcend such stereotypical conflict. The
hitherto descent of his community into this abyss is an indication that
the believers have not made adequate use of the potential contained
within their own religion.

It is worth noting again that actually, Baha'i mythology
notwithstanding, that there always existed potential within human
religious traditions to overcome such divisive patterns. It would be
very interesting to have a considered assessment of the probability of
the human mindset in general being able to rise above desire for
leadership, personal insecurities in the presence of diverse sentiments
by other human beings, etc.

Some acknowledgement of human diversity is observable. Modern nation
states do exist with some degree of diversity, and at least a portion
of the populations of such states seem able to accept the principle of
the equal value of their fellow different citizens. This is still very
far from from the species as a whole harmoniously getting along in
great diversity, overcoming a great deal of the dominant faith in
contention (competition) preached in the West.

> This is humanities true spiritual challenge.

I agree.

> Our ecophere is groaning, just as Baha'u'llah said "the earth groans
> beneath us". Although the greater part of the human population is unaware of
> the reasons for this they are aware that their nets catch far fewer fish and
> that the animal and plant life of their environments are degrading.
>
> This is humanities true spiritual challenge, not a pie in the sky one way
> trip to heaven for good deeds done.

Yes, it's easy to imagine that one simply obeys a set of orders,
however malodorous such may be, and then one goes to heaven. However,
in my opinion, this ease demonstrates the remoteness such individuals
pull the species as a whole from any threshold of intelligence. An
intelligent life form cannot be duped into obedience of anything at
all. The argument that first we identify an infallible god, prophet or
whatever and then obey this being is flawed. One heeds valuable advice.
One does not simply march over ethical cliffs asserting one is flying
to heaven, not if one really is a sentient (and a spiritual) being.

As Baha'u'llah taught faith requires the balance of reason, or else it
is excessive and what is excessive is harmful.

> A universal spirituality that is based on the sustainable use of the earths
> resorces is the only spirituality that will save our collective bacon. There
> is no good reason why all the diverse spiritual traditions of the world
> can't pitch in on this effort, perhaps they would learn a thing or two about
> cooperation and community. The horendous thing is that the greater majority
> of affluent humanity would rather see the ecophere go to hell in a hand
> basket than do what is necessary to level the playing field so that there is
> a sustainability for all of humanity to share.

This is the encrustation of Christianity, the dominant faith of the
West, with the materialistic selfish attitude that the individual is
entitled to take more than a fair share, that the wellbeing of the
community is secondary to the doctrine of the individual to acquire as
much as possible, that the natural state of humanity is as an arena of
contending individuals and groups of various kinds and that the very
fact of the supremecy of particular individuals and groups confirms
their worth, as well as the correctness of the process of
disadvantaging the others.

This faith is not the worldview of a sentient species, and I am very
interested in assessing the extent to which it is inevitable and the
degree to which it can be ameliorated, moderated and balanced. The
Baha'i Faith was one of the very best opportunities to present a
beneficial balance and its demise is especially tragic, as a
consequence of the specific, pacific and global influence it could be
exerting, if only it could reach higher for the harmonious ideal that
is contained within it.

> It is a sad statment that it took a catastrophe like the Zunami to bring
> Sri Lankan Tamils and Senlese together, what is even sadder is that the
> initial enthusiasum has worm thin.
>
> I pray that it won't take a similar world embrasing catacalysm to finally
> bring humanity together.

It was long Baha'i belief that a nuclear war would be a prelude to
humanity getting along. Thanks to the brilliance, humility and insight
of Mikhail Gorbachev this apocalyptic nightmare was erased. The
Universal House of Justice had written a letter at the height of the
Cold War asserting that the future could well surpass humanity's
highest hopes, and the disappearance peacefully of the USSR fulfilled
that prophecy.

That same letter from the UHJ also stated that the future could contain
what surpassed our worst fears, and, for Baha'is, the
fundamentalization of the religion at the top fulfilled that prophecy,
too. Now, what is required is for all believers to stand aside from
their antagonistic contentions, step forward beyond fanaticism and
strive for the harmonious path of human harmony.

Whatsoever has been done in the past, whatsover the voices of division
have uttered, the reality remains that the present and future are very
open to the free action of people empowered by the spirit of the day in
which they live to choose what is most constructive, beneficial and
productive of well being for each and all.

> Yours Larry

Thrive,

Michael

.

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